Page 54 of Macaron Massacre
Mom gasps as she looks to him with the utmost admiration. “Did you hear that, Lottie? A citizen’s award! There truly is no higher honor.”
Mayor Nash wraps an arm around my mother and offers a husky laugh. “I’ve got a special honor I’d like to bestow upon you, too, missy. That is, if you’re up for the challenge.”
“Ooh.” Mom swims with carnal delight, inspiring my sudden need to vomit.
I’m just about to ditch the coital couple as a pair of sandy-haired blondes appear before us like unwanted apparitions—Mayor Nash’s daughters, Kelleth and Aspen.
“Daddy.” Kelleth falls over her father. “You were almost killed. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.” She pulls back. Her lips are so heavily glossed it looks as if she should be nominated as a national oil reserve. Kelleth is pretty—as is Aspen. Both sisters are smart, and they have the Ivy League education to prove it. But it doesn’t change the fact they’re as snobby as they come.
Aspen grunts my way as if I were the one who almost killed him. And, knowing how bad my aim is, it was entirely possible.
“Lottie Lemon,” Aspen growls my name out as if it were a curse. Aspen has always reminded me a bit of a cartoon character with her exaggeratingly large eyes. She has a Betty Boop appeal to her, if Betty Boop were a blonde preppy. I’m not sure what either of them does for work, but I’m not motivated to pry either. “You could have hurt everybody there today.”
“But she didn’t.” Mom is quick to hop to my defense. “She saved us all from a very dangerous man.”
Both sisters turn their tiny noses up at me just as their mother, Chrissy Nash, walks in, and they quickly scuttle off in her direction.
Funny how Chrissy can be so down-to-earth, and her children can be so lost in space. I spot my sisters and politely excuse myself from my own mother and Mr. Octopus Hands, but I bump into a couple of faces I hadn’t planned on seeing instead—or at least I hoped I wouldn’t see.
“Britney, Cormack. I’m assuming your candidate won the election. So, in that case, congratulations.” I nod as I do my best to duck past them, but Britney yanks me back by my elbow.
“Not so fast, Lemon Tart.” Her lips twist in a knot, and her only visible eye looks decidedly angry as she glares at me with it. Both Britney and Cormack are staying at the B&B, so I’m not entirely surprised to see them. What I am surprised to see is Britney fuming while Cormack appears to be…gloating?
“Congratulationsarein order.” Cormack shoves her left hand in my face, and I’m taken aback by the giant sparkler on her ring finger. A princess cut diamond the breadth of her finger glitters like mad even in this low lighting. “My fiancé should be here any moment, and I can’t wait to kiss him.” She winces as she covers that rock. “He doesn’t quite know I stumbled upon the big surprise, but what the heck? If I’m about anything, I’m about getting this party started.”
My mouth falls open. “Where did you find that?”
“On top of his sweaters in the closet. I was looking everywhere for Toby’s leash.” She leans in and giggles. “Who am I kidding? I was snooping hard. I’m telling you both I can smell a good diamond a mile away, and I just knew he was hiding a gem the size of a Volvo in that tiny death trap somewhere. The receipt in his junk drawer might have tipped me off a bit.”
“Oh my God,” I say, pulling her hand in to get a better look at the breathtaking beauty. Tears come to my eyes, and a lump the size of Honey Hollow forms in my throat. This is the ring that Noah bought for me. This ring represents all of the hope he has for us. This ring represents what would have been—could still very well be our future.
“Now, now, Leonora”—Cormack snatches her hand back—“this one’s mine for the taking.” She zips off to the refreshment table and heads right for the dessert.
“For the taking is right,” I mutter to Britney. “I think that ring was meant for me.”
“For you?” She jerks back as if I struck her. And then, just as quickly, her affect softens. “Well, that’s a relief. For a second, I actually thought he was falling for the twit.” She frowns down at my own ring finger. “Looks like you’re taken.” A wide smile glides over her face, but it doesn’t last long. “You do realize what a catch Noah is, don’t you?”
Now it’s me inching back. “You’re not asking me to put my hat in the ring, are you?”
She makes a face as she looks over at Cormack. “Let’s just say, if I had to choose a woman for Noah, it wouldn’t be that vapid mop. I’d better go stop her from starting up rumors.” She takes off, and I marvel at the fact she didn’t include herself on the list of women she’d like to see Noah with. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why she’s dragging out the divorce.
My phone bleats, and I glance down to see a message from the ineligible bachelor himself. It’s a text from Noah.
Hey, Lottie, I’m on my way. Sorry I’m late. Something very important came up. Please stay put until I get there.
Stay put until he gets here? I can’t help but recoil at his verbiage. Noah doesn’t speak to me that way, unless, of course, he thinks he’s being protective. And after the day I’ve had, I can’t say I blame him. He did say please, after all.
Meg and Lainey brighten as I come upon their small circle. Jana March has a notepad out. She seems to be making a list of some kind for the burgeoning bridezilla among us, and a spontaneous giggle evicts from me. Jana is tall, waifish, and her dark hair is sitting in a messy bun on top of her head. I hate to say it, but it looks as if my sister is running her ragged.
“Lainey”—I pull my sister in for a quick hug—“I am so happy your wedding is on the horizon. And that, for once, it’s the only thing I have to focus on. And I couldn’t have felt more relief when I said those words if I tried.”
Meg belts out a laugh. “I think the one relieved around here is Lainey. You got the killer just in the nick of time. That is, unless you stumble upon another body before the big day arrives.”
Lainey swats her on the arm. “Would you stop? The last thing I need is you calling out some seriously bad juju into the universe.” She turns my way, a sweet smile blooming on her beautiful face. “I’m relieved, too. And no, I don’t believe for a minute that you’ll stumble upon another corpse of any kind.” Lainey picks up my hand. “I’m positive everything will run smoothly. Right, Lottie?” She snips my name out with a little bite to it.
“That’s right.” I shrug over at Jana. “So, what’s with the list?” I’m almost afraid to ask, but it was either Jana or me, and I’d much rather have the white-hot spotlight of my sister’s anxious attention focused on her.
Lainey lifts a finger. “Jana is taking me to a wedding convention in a couple of weeks. We’ve just about shored up every last detail. Right, Jana?Right?”